Page 38 of Ribbons and Roses
If any of Paulio’s men hurt her or the kids…
Everything feels surreal as my strides stretch farther and I’m coming up on the house. I dive through the back kitchen door and cross into the den where they’d been.
“Phi!”
Then I stop short altogether, huffing out deep breaths at what I find.
Sasha’s huddled in a corner with the kids. Delphine’s in the middle of the room standing over both of Paulio’s soldiers who had been keeping an eye on them. She’s holding one of their guns, looking triumphant as her gaze meets mine.
I’m so relieved I could pass out. Instead, I start toward her, engulfing her in a tight hug.
“Phi, what the fuck? What happened?”
“We were biding our time. Then, when we heard the gunshot outside, we made our own move. Sasha distracted them while I went for it. I disarmed them and took care of it.”
Of course she would.
My wife has proven again and again that she’s capable of taking out threats. She was once doing it on her own as a vigilante, and she’s done it several other times when fighting by my side. Years of marriage and motherhood hasn’t changed her capabilities—or the fierce fight that lives inside her.
I’m still overcome with relief as I press my lips to her forehead and squeeze her within my arms. “Phi, I never want you in that situation again. Let’s… let’s get the kids out of here.”
Sasha loads them into the car while Phi and I go meet Ernest and Stitches. They’re still kneeling around Marcel as they do their best to stop the bleeding.
“Marcel,” Delphine cries out in horror.
It’s the only word she can utter as we run toward them. Only a few minutes later, the ambulance and police arrive, officially putting an end to the holiday surprise none of us ever saw coming.
14
delphine
The emergency waitingroom at the Mount Halsey General Hospital is silent and somber as we wait on the news. Even the little ones can’t bring themselves to make a peep. Dante’s asleep in my lap while Dominic and Serena sit glumly on either side of me.
Stitches and Sasha took Bryce down the hall to grab a treat from the vending machine. Neither Salvatore nor Dad have stopped pacing the room.
I run my hand over Dante’s curls in a soothing motion. His breaths come out gently, wispy sounds that would normally make me smile. Collapsed in my lap, he can sleep just about anywhere.
But even the usual peace that my toddler would bring me can’t be found tonight.
My head’s riddled with thoughts about Marcel and the operation. The doctors said it’ll be a few hours before we know his status. The bullets struck him deep in the abdomen, partially piercing his kidney.
If he does make it out of surgery, he won’t be released for days. Then will come the long road of recovery.
All because he fell in with the wrong crowd and Paulio Belini decided to use him against us.
I rise up from my chair and then carefully lay Dante down so he can continue napping uninterrupted. The two-year-old barely notices a difference, snuggling up against the cushion of the chair and tugging on the blanket he’s wrapped up in.
I stop at Salvatore’s side. “I’m going to go for a walk. I need some fresh air.”
“Both of you go,” Dad interjects. “I’ll watch the tiny tots.”
Salvatore links his hand with mine and leads the way out of what’s begun to feel like a torture room. There’s so little air it feels stuffy and unbearable. We exit out a side door to make it into one of the hospital’s courtyards.
“He’ll make it out, Phi,” Salvatore says. “You heard the doctor. It only partially pierced his organ.”
“It’s a close enough call. I just can’t believe he’d get mixed up with the Belinis. After all he’s said about you being in the lifestyle.”
“Normally, the bird squawking the loudest has the most shit to unload,” Salvatore says plainly. “Meaning your brother—love him as much as you do, Phi—was projecting onto me. He was the one living the kind of lifestyle he wasn’t proud of.”